Light and Dark
by Suzyn
Summary: After the Invasion of Konoha, Sasuke confronts the dent in his pride. His train of power-based thought digresses after learning about the Cursed Seal's affect on him. Later, with a new view of his teammates, he puts faith in his team. But what happens when the Akatuki come and successfully take their target? AU, No Yaoi, OOCness if that's how you want to count character development
1. The Confrontation

**Full Summary: **Sasuke had never questioned his resolve to gain power and to kill his brother. Yet when he confronts the dent in his pride after the Invasion of Konoha, he learns a few new things. One of them being Common Sense. Armed with some sympathy, he tries to build the team of misfits into a united force against Itachi. Yet what happens when the Akatsuki come and successfully claim their target?

This is an Alternate Universe starting from the end of the Invasion of Konoha arc. There will be OOCness but like I said, it's character development. Unless you want Sasuke to become a crazy-prick then I'll leave you to your flames.

There will be no yaoi in this, in fact, this will be completely Gen unless someone tells me a good reason why I should pair anyone up with anyone.

Oh! yeah, and it will mainly be Sasuke POV or Naruto POV

**Warnings: **...T for swearing I think. That's about it. Oh! And an excessive use of the words Dead-last and Bastard by our two protagonists. Also there will be NO Japanese phrases used in this fic unless they are honorifics. (ie: Ero-sennin= Pervy Sage) (ie. Tsunade-shishou=Master Tsunade) (ie. Dobe=Dead-last, Loser, Idiot)

**Disclaimer: **The shadow of horrified and furious fans keeps me from taking the reins of Naruto from Kishimoto. Only Kishi can stand the shit that comes from you guys when he trolls.

* * *

The blinding morning light pierced through sheer curtains and elicited a groan from a sleeping Sasuke Uchiha. Blinking away the fatigue, Sasuke's mind drifted to the reason why his morning wasn't as welcoming as usual. Memories of Blood, Sand, Monsters, Red Chakra, A-cocky-grin-on-one-beat-up-but-moving-blonde, and finally, his complete inability to stand up against someone the Dead-last defeated raced through his mind. His thoughts stopped at the mention of his uselessness.

_How? _He thought, _How was the Dead-last, the Loser, able to defeat someone I wasn't? Why didn't I have enough power to actually take him down? He was a monster; how was the Idiot able to keep up with him? Why is he progressing so far and leaving me behind?_

After stopping the invasion of Konoha—_Naruto stopped it, you did nothing_, his mind said—, he adamantly refused medical help and internally debated the Dead-last's victory over the sand genin. Until the Third's funeral, Sasuke's mind was repeatedly brought back to the fight and his participation in it. It was later in the evening that Sasuke couldn't stall any longer and went to find the object of his anxiety. For someone that had lost a lot of chakra, blood, and had extensive injuries, the Dead-last was hard to find. He wandered and internally brooded well into the night. Kakashi had been no help either; his nose in his perverted book and a quick dismissal before even hearing out his demand left him stuck. The Dead-last was nowhere to be found and he needed his answers—demanded his answers. But even spending another two hours out searching didn't help his situation. So with great irritation, Sasuke made his way into his apartment and decided that tomorrow he would get his answers or someone was going to get battered. Badly.

That is how Sasuke found himself skipping breakfast and out the door five minutes after waking.

_Today_, he thought, _Today, I will get my answers. I'll know what made him so powerful after such a short time. I'll be able to achieve his progress and I won't get left behind. Not again._

Yesterday night he, in all his haste and stubbornness, forgot to check the one place where the Dead-last was most likely to be. Sasuke didn't even remember the place of Naruto's obsession until he coincidentally trudged past it at the same time a loud slurp was heard from inside.

Sasuke steeled his gaze and strode in. He filled the small stand with killing intent that made the old man and young woman at the counter shrink. An idiotic mob of blonde hair was still unaware of his presence.

_After all that happened, how can he be so nonchalantly eating? _Sasuke thought furiously.

A scowl marred his face as he took in the Dead-last's usual garb. The neon-orange that the Dead-last donned was just as bad as the Irritating Fangirl's bright red dress. Yet that wasn't the most frustrating thing about his outfit. Sasuke remembered seeing far too much of the Dead-last's neon-orange back that day. That colour was simply there again; mocking him. Reiterating what his mind subconsciously berated himself for.

"Hmm?" A mumble came from the Dead-last as Sasuke sub-consciously raised his killing intent to suffocating levels.

Seeing no need to prolong the excruciatingly troublesome situation, Sasuke grabbed the Dead-last's collar and tugged. Hard.

"Argh!" A sound made from the Dead-last choking rung in his ears, "Sasuke, you bastard! What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to kill me?"

He narrowed his eyes and dragged him out of the stand with immense force; he didn't want to deal with this this early. Sasuke ignored the Dead-last's complaints, struggling, and irate glare as he made his way to a random abandoned rooftop.

He harshly dropped the Dead-last on his ass and stood over him in an intimidating pose. Activating Sharingan, he stared menacingly into the grating crystal blue of his adversary's eyes.

"You. Answers. Now." Sasuke stated with a tone that spoke 'no arguing'. He hoped the blonde idiot would understand that if he didn't get what he wanted, there was no way he was going to get away unharmed. At the same time, he scanned the roof's terrain and mentally calculated where to throw his ninja wires should the Dead-last not co-operate.

"Huh?" Came the irksome reply from the confused blonde.

Sasuke wanted to bash his head in. No one but the Dead-last could be that dense. It was simply as if he didn't understand the situation he was in. Sasuke was so tempted so simply take his ninja wires and tie the idiot up with his mouth shut, but that wouldn't answer his questions. Taking a fist-full of the blonde's jacket and pulling him level to his eyes, Sasuke elaborated in an annoyed and clipped tone.

"Let me explain to you what your dim mind can't comprehend, Dead-last," Sasuke scowled deeply, "I want to know where you got your power from that day. I want to know why you were able to stop that monster and I was unable to! I want to know how you, who started out as the weakest of the idiots, managed to—" Sasuke cut himself off. 'Surpass me' was supposed to come out of his mouth but there was no way in hell he was ever going to say it out loud, let alone admit it to himself.

"And why the hell would I tell you, Bastard? You almost choked me, dragged me around Konoha, dumped me on this shitty building, and worst of all, you made me leave my Ramen unfinished!" Naruto retorted, "Are you crazy? Why the hell would I do what you want me to?"

Sasuke scoffed. "Maybe you don't understand, Dead-last, I am not asking you; I am threatening you. If you're continuously that stubborn, I will draw blood," he threatened as he brandished a kunai.

"Bastard! Why the hell do you want to know that badly anyways? What the fuck are you; a power-obsessed social retard? Oh wait, you are!" Naruto grinned, "Besides, that power comes from my hard work and dedication to my Way of the Ninja! Gaara was hurting Sakura-chan and was about to hurt you! Even if you're a prick, you're still me and Sakura-chan's teammate! I'd never let him hurt you!"

Sasuke began to get more irritated as the Dead-last continued his rant. He was almost about to burst a vein at the mention of his 'Way of the Ninja'. Growling with exasperation, Sasuke retorted.

"Don't peg me for an idiot, Dead-last; as if anyone could ever get stronger from protecting others! Only suicidal idiots and martyrs go that route and I need to get power without dying in the process."

Naruto growled back in response.

"Fuck you! Don't insult Old Man Hogake! He protected us with his life! The other Hokages did too! And they were the strongest in the village!"

"Look where that got them! The Third died yesterday. Tell me, where is the strength in dying? Orochimaru, on the other hand, fights for power and his own life. He was able to take down the Hokage and come out alive. Protecting others makes you weak!" Sasuke countered.

Sasuke didn't think that the Hokage was weak, nor did he ever condone disrespecting the Hokages, but he thought that the death of the Third Hokage was rather pathetic for someone claimed as the strongest ninja in Konoha.

Blue eyes widened at the proclamation. The Dead-last fisted Sasuke's shirt furiously and stared back with a feral look.

"What the hell, Bastard! How can you say that about Old Man Hokage! Next thing I know, you're off joining that Snake Bastard!"

Sasuke huffed. "As if I would ever put myself in the service of another. However, Dead-last, unlike what your naïve mind can't comprehend; I am willing to do anything for power. I have something I need to do and nothing will dissuade me."

He could feel his previously retracted Cursed Seal pulse in response to his statement. _What the fuck? _He thought, _Unlike last time, this feels oddly...euphoric. _Sasuke turned his attention to the furiously confused blonde; pushing his hands off his shirt and smirked as he angrily stumbled up.

"You're fucking crazy, you know! Who throws away everything for god-damn power? What's got you so damn obsessed anyways?" The blonde questioned.

"Heh, Dead-last, you must have some memory problems if you've forgotten my ambition of killing my brother." Sasuke retorted. _How the hell did we get so off-topic? He must be avoiding my questions; not bad for an idiot, _he inwardly thought. "Now stop stalling and give me my answers!"

"What the fuck do you have against your brother that makes you this power hungry?" Naruto raged.

Sasuke felt uncontrollable rage coursing underneath his slipping control of his emotions. _How dare he ask about __**that?**__ And why the hell doesn't he know about it already? Does he live under a fucking rock?_ Sasuke was already losing his composure and his emotions forced him to answer. Unbeknownst to him, his Cursed Seal was pulsing erratically again; secretly adding fuel to the fire.

"Let me tell you a story about an event that shook Konoha for years and changed me for the better," Sasuke started his biography, "Once there were two brothers…"

For the better part of his monologue, Sasuke was engulfed in flashbacks and rusty and forgotten feelings that he thought were locked away in a deep part of his mind. The rest was spent measuring the Idiot's reaction to his childhood—which he found rather annoying. The Loser was horribly confused at the direction of his tale. Nonetheless, that would change later on.

As Sasuke lost himself in rage when he told of the massacre, he didn't notice the Cursed Seal pulsing furiously and expand by a tiny margin. He also didn't notice Naruto's expression change into one of sympathy and understanding.

For a few moments, Sasuke remained silent after finishing his tale; lost in his memories, contemplating, reaffirming.

"Sasuke," an unusally soft voice broke the silence. Sasuke noted the lack of the word 'bastard' used by the Dead-last, "I-I think I understand why you're doing this—but that doesn't mean you have to keep living in the past like that! Sure, your brother did something horrible, but that doesn't mean you can't forgive him! He's your brother! Don't you value him in your memories? Do you really have to kill him?"

Suddenly, something in Sasuke snapped. The thought of forgiving his brother for killing his clan, his family, his hope and naivety, and his own future was outrageous! The Dead-last dare insult him and claim he understood! How pretentious could he get? Sasuke was reminded of all the people that offered fake words and pity to him after the mass burial of his clan. He couldn't stop his anger and felt a familiar burn engulfing his neck.

"You dare!" He shrieked; unexpectingly lauching himself at the blonde and knocking him back with a hard punch, "Don't claim you understand me, Dead-last. You could never understand losing everything in your life by the person you trusted the most! You're an orphan! You could never miss what you never had!" Sasuke gaze turned dark, "_He_ took everything away from me. _He _told me to live in hatred and independence. _He _told me only an Uchiha can kill another Uchiha and I will! I will avenge my clan—my fallen parents and relatives-! I will deal out vengeance with my hand to his heart! It is the duty I swore to do years ago and I will never be dissuaded."

He watched the Dead-last growl and launch himself at him. Already irritated at telling the Loser his life story, he swiftly caught the offending fist and knocked the Dead-last on his back, forcing wind out of his lungs. Sasuke quickly straddled the Dead-last, enabling him no movement, and grasped his neck in a choking hold.

"Now that you've wasted enough of my time, I expect you to answer my questions," Sasuke smirked dangerously, "If you don't, I could always implement the method _He_ advised to gain more power; to kill the one closest to you. You are my friend, right Dead-last?" Sasuke raised his left hand. His fingers in a piercing position situated directly above the blonde's heart.

The Loser's eyes widened. Sasuke observed countless emotions flash through them until one settled in the Dead-last's gaze, turning the once pure blue eyes into sinister crimson ones. Rage accumulated onto the Dead-last's face and, with strength that seemed to come from nowhere, kicked Sasuke's form away from him.

Sasuke noted the familiar red chakra now leaking out of the Dead-last's figure. It embodied everything sinister and evil. Suddenly, Sasuke was brought into a flashback of their fight with the Sand Siblings. He remembered the same foreboding feeling coming from Naruto when he was fighting off the Sand freak. Sasuke was satisfied, angry, and apprehensive at the same time.

"That's it!" Sasuke announced, "That is the power you have! That is the power I need! I'll be able to defeat _him _with it! Dead-last, tell me how you gained that power!" Another string of black flames crawled up to his face. Sasuke, still oblivious, thought nothing of his accentuated lust for power.

The Dead-last's face held a horrified expression. _Is he scared of me? Or is it because of something else? There must be more to this power than I thought; how did he acquire it anyways? _Sasuke waited impatiently for a reply as he noted the Idiot's fleeting expressions, all apprehensive about giving out his much needed information.

"That's…confidential," The Dead-last stated simply.

Anger coursed through his blood. Feeling impulsively frustrated, Sasuke decided to beat the Idiot to near-death until he answered truthfully. _What is there so special about him? _He internally seethed as he closed in on the blonde, _Why does he hold this power and I don't? I'm the one who needs it! _Pushing every ounce of his anger into his punches, he easily dispelled all the Shadow Clones momentarily created by the Dead-last.

Just as he was about to kick the Idiot in the chest, the red chakra was channeled once more and suddenly, his target was a few meters beside him. Surprised and angry at the fact that the Red Chakra had helped Naruto again, he started to become more aggressive and erratic in his attacks. More Shadow Clones were called up and Sasuke found himself irritated to no end; was he too weak to even fight properly? Dispelling the countless number of blondes racing after him only served to frustrate him more. Sparing a glance at the Idiot, he noticed he wasn't a bit tired despite the amount of chakra he consumed.

_How is it possible to have that much chakra? I bet that Red Chakra is related to this. I need it too! _Sasuke thought greedily.

At the breaking point of his sanity—his breaking point for patience was long overrun-, Sasuke called upon his own chakra to form a concentrated ball of lightening in his left hand. He tore through the Shadow Clones with ease and speed.

Stopping in front of the leader of the dispersed Shadow Clones, Sasuke glared menacingly. Lifting up the Chidori that was still activated in his hand, he threatened the blonde in front of him.

"Listen, Dead-last, I just destroyed all of your Shadow Clones in an instant. Don't bother making new ones unless you want to piss me off. I'd suggest you start to fight seriously or you'll end up with a hole where your heart used to be."

Preparing to strike at the Dead-last, he closed the distance between them and was about to tear off his arm when something clenched around his wrist. He was disabled and his Chidori sputtered out in his hand. There was Red Chakra pooling around his wrist and he could feel it burning off his skin. _What the hell is this stuff? _

"Bastard," Sasuke whipped his head up to meet the Dead-last's troubled gaze, "do you really mean it? Would you actually kill me to get this power?"

"Yes," Sasuke didn't hesitate in his response, though he noted that his voice sounded rather dark and unfamiliar.

Suddenly, he was knocked on his back in a flash. His body was pinned to the rooftop and, under the amazing strength provided from the Red Chakra to the blonde, was unable to move. _Damn it! Why? This fucking power should be mine! _He stared defiantly into the eyes of his opponent and was surprised to find them clear of all red; the eyes forming the colour of sky once more.

"Heh, bastard," Naruto started in a surprisingly contemplative voice, "if I could give this power to you, I would. It's not something I'm proud of; it's more of a curse than a gift if you ask me. This 'power' is something I can't share, it's impossible to share. I don't willingly use this 'power'; it works its way into my system forcefully when I'm too emotional. Besides," Naruto grimanced, "you wouldn't want it either. It's too evil."

Sasuke was surprised at the genuine despair in the Dead-last's tone. He thought the Dead-last would brag about his power then purposely keep it from him just to piss him off. There was an odd amount of relief that flooded his mind, yet that couldn't counter-balance the frustration he felt by the Idiot's response. His Cursed Seal was now spreading onto his back sporadically.

"Don't think I can't trump it. Unlike you, Dead-last, I have more than enough will power to take on the dark and bury it with me," Sasuke stated sinisterly, "Didn't I already say that I'd do anything for power? Since your power is unattainable, I'll kill you and acquire my Mangekyou Sharingan. Anything to fulfil my duty."

He raised his killing intent and brought strength into his body. Still unable to fight off the figure holding him down, he drew more power. Desperately trying to prove himself, he didn't realize the source of the ominous power he channeled. With no limiters, the Curse Seal now spread to the better half of his face; enveloping his left eye. There was a power-trance that slowly brought Sasuke under its influence, whispering suggestions of blood and death. Just as he was about to tear off a limb to get out of the Dead-last's hold, a wavering voice broke his trance.

"Sasuke!" the Dead-last shouted in surprise, "What the fuck is happening to your eye? It's freaking black! Bastard, are you okay?"

Sasuke's mind slowly unraveled when he heard that statement. _Cursed Seal?_ He thought in confusion, _It was activated all this time_?

His previous actions were replayed in his mind. Suddenly, the thought of killing the Dead-last seemed less than intriguing.

_What the hell? Was I under its influence this entire time?_ Sasuke internally raged. He hated being controlled. The moment in the Forest of Death was a prime example. The entire time, he was unable to control himself, fueled the Cursed Seal. The fact that Sakura had gotten to witness his weakness was a prime factor. He hated not bring able to control his intentions and emotions. For all he knew, Itachi had been unable to control himself and snapped. Not to mention, an avenger couldn't forsake his goal for the will of another, after all.

"Hey, bastard!" The Dead-last shouted, "Are you there?"

Sasuke brought himself out of his state of confusion. The very loud proclamation made by the Dead-last sobered him enough to reel in his emotions.

"So Bastard, what the hell is with your eye?"

Sasuke cringed. He remembered telling Sakura to keep knowledge of his Cursed Seal to herself. At the time, he didn't want anymore people to know of the weakness he acquired.

If someone had asked before, Sasuke would've coldly denied all evidence towards even having a Cursed Seal. However, he felt a semblance of sympathy after the Idiot told him of his own rather cursed power. If the Dead-last had admitted something deprivating to him, then he would be willing to do the same-if only out of pride. Steadying himself, he took a deep breath and, for the first time in his life, admitted his weakness to someone else.

"This is a Cursed Seal," he stated, "When that Orochimaru confronted us in the Forest of Death, he bit me and applied this seal to my neck. Apparently, this seal forces foreign emotions into my head and...changes my chakra."

"What?" The blonde shouted, "And no one found out until now?"

Sasuke sighed in exasperation. The Dead-last was probing too much for his own good.

"Actually, Sakura had always known," 'oh, how I hated that', he inwardly brooded, "and Kakashi was the one that sealed it after the preliminaries."

"What?" The blonde screeched, giving Sasuke a headache, "Why am I the last one to know?"

The conversation was getting too tiring and useless for Sasuke to deal with. There were more important matters-such as retaining his own state of mind and, after that, training-to take care of.

"Look, you don't need to know anymore. Now, get off! I need to get this damn seal resealed!" He yelled.

"Hell no!" The Dead-last yelled back, "I don't give a damn about your hickey-"

"Hey!"

"-sending you secret messages from that pedophile! Before you leave and turn back into an ignorant-and-cold-social-retard, I need you to get one thing straight!"

Sasuke, still grumbling about the 'hickey' remark huffed in the Dead-last's face.

"What? Going to keep on lecturing me on the importance of throwing yourself to the enemy for a bunch of civilians?" He mocked, "Or is it more shit about your Way of the Ninja."

"No, Bastard!" The Dead-last grumbled, "I'm here to remind you that we're on a team; we're teammates! I bet you didn't even want to tell Sakura or Kakashi-sensei about your stupid hickey."

Sasuke didn't disagree, though he was more than annoyed at the 'hickey' remark being used again.

"Argh! You're such a social retard, you know? We have teammates for a reason! Remember what Kakashi-sensei said in the beginning?"

Sasuke faintly remembered their teacher lecturing them about comrades—or something.

"Well, I'm happy you don't seem to want to kill me anymore, but that doesn't mean you're much better of a teammate. We're supposed to rely on each other and push through our troubles as a team! We're united! Instead of almost fucking killing me, you could've gone to Kakashi-sensei for more training or asked me to train with you!"

"Dead-last, please. Kakashi is too lazy to teach anyone anything and who said you would help me get stronger?" Sasuke retorted.

"Hey! You're the one that chased me down because I was getting 'too strong' or whatever. Besides, teams have advantages! Three or four people are always more powerful than one! Why don't you just strengthen up with us?"

"Ha!" Sasuke laughed in ridicule, "This team, powerful? Kakashi may be a 'World Famous Ninja' but he's way too lazy. Sakura is a freaking Fangirl for crying out loud. You're the Dead-last that miraculously gained some ounce of power that managed to outdo me. You think our team can 'rise and conquer'?"

"Now hold on a minute. Kakashi-sensei might be lazy but he's a good teacher! He always protects his comrades; remember the Land of Waves? And Sakura is really good at chakra control! Besides, you're the one that turned her into a Fangirl; why don't you find a why to turn her back? And I am your rival!" The Dead-last announced.

"Mmm," Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Look, Bastard, think of it like this. When we do manage to come together and become all powerful, we can take down your brother together! That's four times the success rate! If you do it by yourself, there's no one to support you. Have faith in your teammates, Bastard, we're genin; we aren't supposed to be all powerful, yet.

'The Dead-last is surprisingly intuitive about things like this,' Sasuke thought surprised, 'He actually makes a valid point.' He couldn't doubt the common sense of uniting as a team to take down one person. Yet—as he pictured their current team in his head-, there was a lot to improve on. 'But we are still genin. _He_ still needs to die, but it doesn't have to be right now.'

Sighing, Sasuke decided to consider the Dead-last's suggestions. Hasty decisions meant bad outcomes and he needed good preparation for confronting _Him._

"I'll consider it," Sasuke grumbled, "Now get off, Dead-last!"

"Ah!" the Loser announced, "There's one last thing I need to get through your ice fortress of a head."

"Dead-last, you said there was only one thing," Sasuke said irritatedly; through clenched teeth.

"That! That is exactly what I'm talking about!" The Dead-last exclaimed, "Every time you talk to me, you're always like 'Dead-last this, Loser that' and I'm tired of it! I bet you even call me that in your head! If we're actually going to be a team, you gotta stop calling me names! Acknowledge me for god sakes!"

"Hn. How does this improve our so called 'teamwork'," Sasuke questioned.

"Uh, well…look, just stop being a bastard and do it!"

Sasuke almost scoffed.

"How about this, _Dead-last_," He emphasized that label simply to piss the blonde off, "I'll consider acknowledging you if you start to acknowledge me as well."

The Dead-last was clearly confused at this, "Acknowledge you? What the hell do you mean? I already do! You're always better than me at everything! Everyone else says so too! I mean, I even look up to y-" he cut himself off before Sasuke was able to hear the complete sentence. Despite that, Sasuke could clearly see what the Dead-last was about to unknowingly admit.

'It seems like my previously errant desire to prove myself wasn't really necessary,' he thought in slight embarrassment. Sasuke suddenly smirked.

"Well, _Dead-last,_" emphasis again, "you always call me a bastard and I think that's pretty degrading for someone you have admitted to look up to."

"That's cheap," The Dead-last grumbled in embarrassment, "I-I see your point and I will try to."

"Glad to have worked this out," Sasuke said in annoyance, "Now that this is over, can you finally get off?"

"Ahaha," The Idiot chuckled sheepishly as he stood up and offered Sasuke a hand.

Sasuke was about to refuse the hand when he thought of the fairly long lectures they went through today. Contemplating for a few seconds, Sasuke decided to acknowledge his teammate's arguments—at the very least—and reached for the offered assistance.

* * *

A cheerful blonde merrily made his way to his apartment in the late evening. Humming a random tune, he paused and reflected on the past day's events.

_Today was a good day, _He thought-and in good reason, _The morning was a bit harsh. The basta-_Sasuke _almost choked me and couldn't wait until I finished my ramen to go yell at me. My poor ramen. _

_He dumped me in the middle of nowhere and decided to be all power-obsessed. Then he demanded to know about the Nine-tails, like some damn princess! Princess Uchiha; good insult, _Naruto noted,_ I was about to have a nervous breakdown until the Nine-tails actually talked to me! _

**_Heh, that human wanted to have my power and I decided to give him a sample. You should be thankful, human, I did you a favour,_** the Nine-tails added in his mind.

_It talked again! _Naruto shouted internally in surprise, _how did you even get _in _my mind? The seal's supposed to be fullproof! _

**_Don't DARE talk to me like that; you are a meager HUMAN,_ **the Nine-tails raged,**_ now continue with your monologue; I am in need of some entertainment._**

Naruto huffed. The new voice in his head was starting to become annoying. It was also so very much like Princess Uchiha. _I should probably tell Kakashi-sensei about this, _Naruto stated hesitantly, _On second thought, maybe later._

**_Ha! You humans are funny! Your type don't like to 'practive what you preech', is it not?_**

Naruto slammed his hand against a hard surface in embarrassment, _Arg! Shut up, Stupid Fox! I'll rely on them more...later. I bet the Ba-_Sasuke _is thinking about what I said-__Oh yeah, my monologuing. _

_So after I smacked some sense into the-_Sasuke, _we ran into Kakashi-sensei who told us we were going to help restore the village tomorrow. It'll be awesome! Helping everyone out! By then, it was about five in the evening. I went to Ichiraku's and ordered fifteen bowls of ramen as a reward for getting through to_ th-Sasuke._ Old man Teuchi actually gave me half-off because I was dragged out by a 'scary ninja' and left half of my ramen. I can't believe they used 'scary ninja' to describe Sasuke. 'Brooding-social-retard' is more like it. Now, I'm basking in the moonlight and the afterglow of my wonderous ramen! Life's good._

**_Your pathetic existance is pathetic,_** the Nine-tails stated boredly, _**to show such excitement for a human meal is **_**really**_** pathetic.**_

_Shut up, you Stupid Fox! _Naruto thought, then slammed into a light post in his lack of attention.

**Ha! Human you entertain me. I'll let that comment go. However, in the future you shall address me as Lord Nine-tails, the Magnificent and Terrifying Nine-tails or Your Greatness. **

Naruto's internal quarrel with his tenant continued until the blonde made it to his lack-luster apartment. He flopped on his creaky bed in exhaustion and frustration. All the while mumbling curses about 'Stupid Demon Foxes and their demands' until fatigue overtook him.


	2. Watching

**Disclaimer: **You see, I would try and make a funny disclaimer. But I'm as funny as a platypus, and platypuses don't do much. (Taken from Phineas And Ferb-I also don't own them...lol)

* * *

A pair of cloaked figures inconspicuously entered the Village of Konoha at dawn. The pair moved in silence trecking along the brick roads of the sleepy village. A few civilians passed them by, completely unaware of their prescence, and started their day's work. There should've been something suspicious about their guises; an extremely tall man with a large sword on his back and a slightly shorter man that both bore black cloaks and straw hats that completely hid their identities. Another oddity were the rings they donned. Off colours and symbols were carved into the bands; they seemed to ebb a strange sensation. Surely, in a secure and powerful ninja village such as Konoha, they would've been apprehended and questioned, yet they continued their casual stroll through the unsuspecting streets.

Pausing at a small sweets shop, the pair sat idly and made no conversation nor any distinct movements that were memorable to those around them. None were aware of their prescence, even the amiable group of Jounin that conveniently met right behind our inconspicuous pair, were unable to detect such.

"Oh! Hey, you guys look really good together," a lazy, one-eyed Jounin commented, "Are you guys on a date?"

"Idiot! Anko asked me to buy her some sweets, that's all," a red-eyed brunette replied.

"What about you? Are you picking up some sweets too?" A dark-haired Jounin with a cigarette inquired.

"Hm, sort of. I'm off to meet my team at noon and I can't possibly show up on time, that's why I'm stalling here for the moment," the one-eyed Jounin stated lightly.

The two Jounin simply stared at the other in annoyance and frustration.

"Aha, don't worry, I'll only be an hour late this time. Yesterday, our resident brooder seemed to be reaffirming his goals and that's caught my interest."

The small clink of a cup drew Kakashi's attention to the shop behind him. Sure it was nothing and there was barely a prescence behind him at all, but there was a bad omen surrounding the entire shop. Kakashi could only be a bit suspicious. And yet, looking back, there was only an empty table with two cups of unfinished tea.

* * *

Down by the bridge where Team 7 usually met up, there was a heavy feeling of frustration in the air. The pink haired member leaned unceremoniously against the railing and huffed.

"I know Kakashi-sensei is usually late, but today's an important day!" Sakura complained, "We're supposed to be helping Konoha repair itself and here we are, slacking off while everyone else helps out. Kakashi-sensei should be taking his job as our teacher more seriously. Don't you think so, Sasuke-kun?" She chirped to the dark form leaning against the railing to her left.

Sasuke had been just as disappointed. After Naruto's damn lectures, he had taken this 'team' thing more seriously. Hatake Kakashi was simply a bad teacher, there was no doubt about it now. That would have to change. Just as Sasuke was about to ignore her obvious flirting. He felt an umcomfortable glare at the side of his head. Turning a bit, he noted Naruto's form. Slumping over the railing in fatigue but with an obviously displeased gaze at what Sasuke was going to do. Sighing in submission, Sasuke replied back.

"Sakura," at this, the girl happily jumped, "we need to talk later."

Sakura, obviously and hopelessly believing the statement to be something completely different, almost fainted. That was when Kakashi popped in front of them, bringing bits of foliage with him.

"Yo!" He casually greeted.

All three Genins were ticked off at the masked Jounin's nonchalant attitude.

"Kakashi-sensei! I know I usually say this but you should take your job more seriously! You're late everyday!" Sakura insisted.

"Ah, well, I woke up extremely early this morning but ran into a group of children that needed someone to save their kitty from perilous dang-" Kakashi replied lamely.

"Kakashi," the dark-haired Genin entered the conversation, "normally, I'd just ignore Sakura but she's right," at this statement the fangirl yelped cheerfully, "You should be taking your job more seriously so all three of us can benefit from it."

Sasuke remembered the crystal clear favouritism shown to him during the Chuunin Exams. It angered him a lot. He didn't want to be raised on more pedestals, that only brought solitude and arrogance. He was already more arrogant than before and he knew that it wouldn't help him defeat Itachi if he couldn't even physically back up his confidence. And, if what the Dea-Naruto said was right, then he would need this team to be at least equal to him in strength.

Kakashi was clearly surprised. Never had he thought that the arrogant avenger would promote teamwork. He thought, by taking him individually and training him powerful techniques, that it would sate the Genin's thirst for power. However, that plan didn't necessarily work out and by the end of the Chuunin Exams, Kakashi was afraid for the lives of his other students.

Now though, it seemed like the last Uchiha was more than willing to put up with his slightly weaker teammates. _What brought this complete change in attitude, though? _He wondered suspiciously.

"Hm? When did you promote teamwork, Sasuke?" Kakashi wondered outloud. Straightforwardness always worked in situations like these.

The Uchiha huffed, "Since someone convinced me of the benefits of a team. Unfortunately, it's getting hard to see the end result when the teacher is a lazy Jounin that cracks excuses for his lack of punctuality and ignores the progress of others in favouritism," Sasuke shot at the Jounin.

Kakashi was shocked, though he remained casually considerate on the outside. He could feel the edge in Sasuke's voice as he said the last words. Not only did the Uchiha seem to dislike favouritism, it seemed like he wanted his teammates to get stronger as well. It was a complete 180 from Kakashi's previous impression of him. The most shocking part was the mention of someone that managed to convice Sasuke of anything, let alone teamwork. _That person is a miracle worker. Thank god that happened. _

"Uh, well. I'm glad that you're taking our team more seriously, Sasuke," Kakashi said calmly. Internally, he was cheering. _The stoic, power-obsessed loner managed to see the light without the loud and goofy one dying! _He thought joyously, subconciously comparing his current team with his past one. Of course, he was also oblivious to the fact that he called his old self a power-obsessed loner.

"Hm, down to business then. We're going to the Hokage Tower where the Council of Elders are handing out missions in temporary leadership. Meet there in five," he said, then disappeared in a whirl of wind, leaving bits of foliage beside the team.

Sakura gawked, "Did he even take our words seriously? Hey, Sasuke-kun, do you think he'll be late again?"

Sasuke turned around and started walking toward the Hokage Tower. Clearly irrated he replied.

"He better. If he doesn't, I might take killing Naruto a serious suggestion," he muttered.

Naruto blanched and carefully trailed behind; praying to some higher being for Kakashi to be there on time. Sakura was clearly confused at the statement, though for different reasons. _Since when did Sasuke-kun call Naruto by name?_

* * *

Amidst the rootops, the suspiciously inconspicuous cloaked pair watched the group of Genins leave in silence. The shorter one seemed to be silently contemplating whilst the taller examined his partner. After a few moments of tense silence, the taller one spoke in amusement.

"Heh, Itachi, it seems like your younger brother has become friends with the Jinchuuriki."

The shorter one made no response. Only staring at the place where the team previously lingered.

"So what now, Itachi? Do we destroy the last bond your brother made? Or do we kill him like you failed to do years ago?"

Itachi paused. No emotions were seen in his blank gaze, yet he made no sound. After a few moments of contemplation, he broke the silence.

"We wait and observe."

"If you insist," the taller one said, "Are you sure you're not getting homesick, Itachi? Leader-san will get pissed if you stall too long."

Silence settled down once more as there was no reply. Itachi's cloak fluttered in warning as he disappeared to a new location. The tall man, left behind, only spoke in his nasily voice.

"Hm, always so cold and aloof," he then disappeared as well, following his partner's path.

* * *

Kakashi had immediately Shunshin'ed to the Hokage Tower. He didn't know what would've happened to their team dynamics if he managed to piss Sasuke off and he didn't want to know. The Last Uchiha had made valid points in his statements and Kakashi felt rather guilty from ignoring his other two students, but at the time, it was the only thing he could think of to get Sasuke back on the path of the sane. Though, he could tell he was simply making excuses for himself. Resigning himself to his fate, he waited for the arrival of his team.

Looking around, Kakashi noted teams 8 and 9 filing out the entrance of the Hokage Tower. Their teachers, Asuma and Kurenai, stood within close proximity of each other. Smiling happily at the pair, Kakashi sauntered over.

"Oh? On another date already?" He joked.

"You idiot! Our teams just happened to meet up at the same time," Kurenai denied.

"Hm, is that what you call it? Just happened to meet up every night at his house?" Kakashi nudged at the Jounin with a cigarette in his mouth.

"Damn pervert!"

Suddenly, Kakashi's gaze hardened as his tone became more serious. Seeing this, the pair also took a more serious expression.

"So, did you find the rats we felt this morning?" He questioned.

"Unfortunately not," Asuma replied, "They've hidden their trail well and I can only pinpoint their prescence to be within the walls of Konoha; that's not much help."

"There are too many targets in Konoha for our intruders to be after," Kurenai stated in frustration, "I don't know how powerful they are, but if they can hide from three Jounins, we should be careful."

"I've already brought this matter up with the Council of Elders, but with all that needs to be done at the moment, there are no ninja that can officially track them down. We also have matters to deal with and we can't keep on looking for them," Asuma added.

Kakashi sighed. This morning, he and his fellow Jounin felt an odd prescence by the sweets shop they met at. Determined to deal with the matter quickly, they took time to track the odd prescence down. Unfortunately, they were more elusive than Kakashi thought and continued stayed under the radar. It gave Kakashi an uncomfortable feeling; unknown figures that were lurking through the streets of Konoha that Jounin couldn't detect. But the elders were right, there were more important tasks-such as rebuilding all that was destroyed in the invasion-to take care of.

"I supposed the only thing we can do is be on our toes and look after our students," Kakashi resigned, "Let's hope they don't try something drastic."

After the two team leaders left in caution, Kakashi spotted another interesting figure approaching him. There was no reason for the man to be looking for him unless it was serious, so Kakashi straightened up and became more attentive as he greeted the white-haired man.

"Jiraiya-sama, what's going on?" He asked.

The older man spoke in a hushed tone, "Recently, there have been some suspicious movements made by our resident mercenary group. In the likelihood of danger, I'd like to borrow one of your students to help me retrieve the Fifth Hokage."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed, "So they're after Naruto?" His thoughts turned back on the prescence felt in the morning, "I believe they are already here. It would be a good idea to get him out of the village."

"We better be hasty then," the older man said seriously, "When can I pick him up?"

Kakashi noted the three distinct figures arriving at their meeting point; one black, one pink, and one orange. Thankful for the convenience he decided to call them over.

"Hey brats!" He called over in greeting, "There's been a slight change in plans."

The blonde whined, "What do you mean, Kakashi-sensei? Are you going to ditch us now?"

Kakashi internally winced; there was nothing nice about knowing that your students thought you were a useless teacher.

"Actually Naruto, Jiraiya-sama here needs you to go with him to run an important errand for the village," Kakashi pointed to the older man beside him.

"Come on Brat, we need to leave immediately; this matter is extremely important," Jiraiya said.

Naruto looked happily at the man. Then, he suddenly questioned the man in furiosity.

"What about Sakura-chan and Sasuke? I mean, we're a team and we were just about to head in for our team assignment!"

Three of the five people standing looked over at Naruto in shock. Sakura gaped in surprise, Jiraiya's eyes bugged, and Kakashi thought he was delusional for a second. All three of them noted the lack of the term 'Bastard' when Naruto had mentioned his dark-haired teammate. _When did Naruto stop calling Sasuke-kun a bastard? _Sakura thought. Sasuke, on the other hand, smirked in satisfaction.

Snapping out of his stupor, Kakashi explained in reason.

"Sakura and Sasuke could take the missions without you. Since you'll be getting some one-on-one time with Jiraiya-sama, I'll also be taking this time to actually teach you guys something!" Kakashi announced; he looking over at Sasuke and was meet with an impassive stare. _At least he didn't outright disagree, _He thought in relief.

Naruto, thankful that his teammates weren't neglected, returned to his previously excited state and jumped.

"So, when are we going, Pervy Sage?" He asked eagerly.

"Now, Brat! Let's get to your apartment and start packing your stuff," Jiraiya lifted the struggling blonde with his arm and sprinted away, leaving three ninjas looking over in amusement.

"Let's get our mission shall we?" With that said, the masked ninja and his two remaining students strolled into the Hokage Tower to start their work.

* * *

Around an inconspicuous corner, a pair of cloaked ninja appeared from the shadows of the building. Both had overheard the Sannin and Jounin's discussion. The taller tipped his hat in amusement.

"Ho? Interesting development, eh Itachi? What do we do now?" He wondered aloud.

The man continued his questioning rant until the shorter spoke back in irritation, though his voice portrayed no emotion.

"Kisame," said man stopped his random bumbling and looked over, "we observe and wait," The shorter man had repeated his previous instructions and Kisame could only casually lean against the old brick building that hid them from more observant eyes.

"A man of few words, aren't you?" He joked, "As long as Leader-san doesn't have my ass for it."

With that, they disappeared into the shadows once more.

* * *

**A/N: As many can see, the order of events differs from the Canon. Of course, I already said this is AU so, yeah. Anyways, for Canon events, I won't be putting them into this story in detail, I might not even put them into the story at all, since it would just be a repeat of what you already know. So if I basically skip Naruto's point of view in the Tsunade Arc, you have been warned. **

**You may find that this chapter is significantly shorter than the first. That's mainly because the first chapter took 2 days to write and this one took half a day. But hey, 2.7k words ain't bad for half a day's work right?**

**Also, feel free to Review~~ I need all the contructive criticism I can get. Flames are also welcome since they are my form of entertainment ;) **

**Please tell me how I'm doing on my first fic in the little grey box.**


	3. Stalling

**Disclaimer: **Secretly, I tell Kishimoto what to write in Naruto. I have contacts and I 'persuade' him to follow my demands!~ Therefore I indirectly own Naruto. BUAHAHA.*  
*This statement is false

* * *

The sound of clattering pieces of wood resounded throughout Konoha. People were rebuilding detroyed infrastructure and getting their businesses back into action. Shouts and orders were belayed to those who were currently working in the contruction sites. A young boy, with dark hair and dark eyes, hauled a heavy wooden structure over his shoulders and went to deliver it to other workers. However, this boy was not a regular civilian nor a contruction worker; he was a ninja and he walked up the side of a building, pumping chakra throughout his body to get to his destination. At the top of a new building in Konoha's bazaar, Sasuke pondered the past events.

_The D-_Naruto _is getting some special treatment, _he stated, _Shouldn't I be a little jealous? _Sasuke thought he would've been jealous to the fact that Naruto would've been able to train with a legendary ninja, yet here he was, fine and not brooding over it. Perhaps it was because of a distinct revelation amoung his others. _Well, whatever strength my teammates get, will also technically be mine as well, _he reasoned, _Since a team member works with his team, they would be offering their strength to help their teammates. Therefore, I would be able to use their power as well. _He smirked, finally really liking the idea of a team.

Suddenly, there was a clatter and a scream of frustration. He brought his attention on the red-clad pinkette a length away. She was on her hands and knees in front of a large stack of construction materials that lay haphazardly on the ground. She was clearly heaving for air. Sasuke sighed at the display of weakness. Prior to his new revelations, he would've scoffed at her and continued his work, mumbling about weak teammates dragging him down. Now, he reluctantly jumped down to help her.

"Sakura," at this the girl immediately jumped up and started fixing her hair sheepishly; that action ticked him off more than her weakness, "What are you doing?"

"Ah, well, Sasuke-kun, I'm sorry. I guess I'm not strong enough to help out," she admitted sadly, then batted an eye-lash, "But I could really use the help of someone cool and strong. Don't you think, Sasuke-kun?"

He was about to ignore her obvious flirting and simply leave her with simple instructions when he remembered what he needed to talk to this annoying Fangirl about. _I need to fix her damn fixation on me before anything. Otherwise, there's no hope._ Steeling his gaze, he put on a serious demeanor.

"Sakura," his voice cold, "I need to talk to you now. It is extremely important that you listen to me and take everything I say to heart."

Sakura, completely ignoring his tone and stare, nodded while she stared intently at him. Her heart beating erratically as she pictured his next words. Sasuke internally groaned, dealing with fangirls were never fun; they never seemed to get the idea.

"I. Am. Not. Interested. In. You," he said in a crisp and clear tone, making absolute sure that she heard him right, "I have a goal, Sakura, and that is to kill someone. Now, until after I've accomplished it, I won't even consider dating anyone. And let me be clear on this, even if I did, I would _never_ consider dating a Fangirl. Do you understand?"

He expected an automatic deflate or more excessive flirting. That was why he was surprised to see her eyes harden as she almost stared him down.

"Sasuke-kun, I like you a lot, but I am not a Fangirl!" she denied, "I may have been one a while back but not anymore. I'm not obsessed with you or fixated on you; I care about you, not just because you're cool and hot and everything else-even though that's a plus. Since the Forest of Death, I've want to help you and be by your side."

He was speechless. The fact that she seemed to be taking her affection toward him seriously was hard to wrap his head around. But the idea seemed both distressing and unexpectedly pleasing in his mind. Shaking himself into reality, he continued his lecture.

"That's good," she perked up again, "but like I said, I'm not interested in romance. However, if you want to help me, then make yourself useful. I'm not going to tolerate a useless teammate. So if you want to try and win my affection, I'd suggest getting strong enough to help me take down my brother," he said with a smirk as an affirmation was made, "First step: take these pieces of wood and take them to where they're supposed to go."

Sakura collected herself and sauntered over to one piece. She hopelessly tugged on the object until she ran out of breath and collapsed on her back. Sasuke sighed.

"Do you remember everytime you punched Naruto after he said something incredibly ridiculous?" Sasuke asked as Sakura nodded in confusion, "Your punches were always too strong for your physique to pull off and I'm guessing I know why."

"Chakra!" she announced, finishing Sasuke's train of thought, "I remember feeling chakra in my punches whenever the Idiot did something stupid," she paused in consideration, "So if I use my chakra to enhance my physical abilities, I should be able to lift these heavy materials!" Sakura then turned to Sasuke in admiration, "Ah~ Sasuke-kun, you're such a genius!"

Sasuke internally sighed. Though Fangirling no longer plagued her mind, the natural intelligence she seemed to bear was subconciously attached to him. He couldn't take credit for that last revelation, Sakura had actually stated it all on her own. Suddenly, Sasuke seemed to consider his female teammate more. _She has natural intelligence. Her affection is slightly disturbing, but can be used as a factor in her training. If she does manage to take her training seriously, she could actually be strong. _He smirked and suddenly, the idea of a united force against Itachi wasn't as far as he'd thought.

"Great, now that you know what to do, I'll leave you with the second step. Take your training seriously. If you want to get strong, stop fantasizing and start doing something about it," Sasuke was oblivious to the fact that that was how he acted a short while ago, "I will never consider a woman who is weaker than me."

"Of course, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said in determination as she set out to lifting her load.

Sasuke smirked in victory as he sauntered off to finish his mission.

All the while, a silver-haired Jounin watched the scene with a speculative eye. He stood atop a newly repaired tower and considered his new team dynamics. _Maybe it's time to get serious, _he thought, and made plans for the development of his students.

* * *

Silently tailing Team 7 were, again, the cloaked pair. The taller took off his idenity-concealing hat to reveal blue skin and a mouth full of shark-like teeth. Though his skin was impeccably smooth, there were odd ridges carved symmetrically along his face, resembling gills. His mouth was curved in an amused expression as he eyed his still-concealed partner.

"What a nice familial relationship you two have," he commented, "I can guess why you didn't chase after the Jinchuuriki, but these brats are enough of a reason to stay behind; they're entertaining. How is seeing your brother after all these years, Itachi?"

As the other failed to respond. Kisame had to wonder if his partner ever had a sense of humor, or emotions for that matter. He frowned when his remarks made no impression on the ever-stoic Uchiha.

"Sometimes," he mumbled to himself, "it's like I'm talking to a rock."

There were no outward movements, but Kisame could sense Itachi's eyebrow raised half a millimeter. Grinning in victory, he brought his attention to the brats once more.

"How about we get closer?" He suggested, "You can gather more information and I can get another laugh."

His partner silently complied and disappeared in a blur and he followed right after.

* * *

A large man with spiky white-hair examined the streets of the small hotel-town he and his party were residing. He turned at every corner, staring greedily at the large buxom women that littered the streets in their tight and revealing clothes. He drooled while stalking behind a few young ladies and observed their trip through town. He stopped to cautiously scan his surroundings for suspicious followers and could only find the odd pickpocketer trailing behind him. _What am I expecting?_ He thought about his tag-along sitting bored in their current hotel room, _There's nothing suspicious going on at all and I'm likely to put the Brat in more danger by leaving him alone. _Yet as he walked back to his designated sleeping area for the night, he couldn't shake off the feeling that _something_ was likely to go wrong on this trip. (1)

He grumbled as he laid on his futon. His feet were sore from examining every corner of the town they were passing through in paranoia. Jiraiya yawned in fatigue as he glanced at the blonde sprawled against the futon beside his. Legs and arms were tangled in the bedsheets and his spiky blonde hair, without a forehead protector to hold it back, covered his eyes. A wistful expression landed on Jiraiya's face as he remembered his first apprentice and the unimaginable resemblance between father and son. _This would be a good opportunity to teach him the Rasengan, _he noted, _There's so much danger around him; he's got to be able to protect himself. _

So Jiraiya soon slept after making plans to buy as many waterballoons as possible at the next town.

* * *

_(One Week Later)_

Sasuke leaned against the trunk of a tree and took a few deep breaths. His muscles were overworn, his lungs felt like they were on fire, and his clothes were soaked in sweat. The blistering sunlight took a toll on him but the calm breeze and shadowing foliage helped cool him down. He had just finished another of Kakashi's intense solo training sessions. The thought brought a smirk to his face. He never would've imagined Kakashi, the laziest Jounin in Konoha, to put serious effort in training them. Yet here he was, feeling like hell ran him over. There wasn't much he needed to improve on, simply adding more experience, strength, and speed into his body. That didn't mean his training was less intense than his pink-haired teammate's though.

On that thought, he looked over at his teacher and his teammate running through their solo training session. Kakashi had decided that the areas they needed to improve in were too different to train them together, so half of Kakashi's time was spent on Sakura and half on him. His teacher had changed, interestingly enough. He was still late-but only by a maximum of five minutes and he had legitimate excuses-and perverted-during breaks, he always pulled out that embarrassing orange book-but he was taking his job seriously.

Sakura, it seemed, was doing better by herself than he would've thought possible. She was more focused, probably because of the lack of Naruto's stupid comments and his own prescence. She was still the weakest of them, but she was improving steadily.

His mind wandered to his last teammate. The recent notification they'd got told them that they ran into some difficulties and were probably coming back sometime next week.

He often wondered what training Naruto was getting and how he was matching up. Jealousy wasn't part of the equation though. Why should he care about anyone's growth except his and his target's. But for some reason, he didn't want to be outdone by his fellow teammates. It also wasn't a rivalry. Even though his useless teammates changed to _potentially_ useful teammates, there was no need to sociallize or build bonds with them. If they wanted to help, he'd accept. Still, maybe there was an ounce of comradery that appeared between them. _As long as that doesn't hinder me in the long run, _he thought.

"Alright," his teacher's voice resounded amoung the pants from his teammate, "You're improving steadily. Your muscle mass is still fairly minimal but we're getting there. Your chakra reserves seem to be slightly larger as well; good job on building them up. We could try Water Walking for your chakra control exercize tomorrow."

"Okay," Sakura said between pants, "Kakashi-sensei."

He smiled-well, what one could perceive as a smile from a masked man-and debated what to do next. Kakashi signalled for their team to meet together and waited until Sasuke joined them.

"Alright, I have a meeting with the other Jounins in a little bit so this will be it for today," Sakura breathed a sigh of relief, "Since you have the rest of the day off, you can do whatever you want. Relax, hangout, maybe even go on a date."

Kakashi donned a mischeivious look as Sakura perked up ecstatically. Sasuke couldn't believe his luck, the day off was welcome; suggesting a date between the two of them was down right evil. He glared daggers at Kakashi but only found a bits of foliage swaying in the breeze where his teacher once stood. _It's like he wants to torture me for making him show up on time. _Sasuke didn't know how right he was.

"Say, Sasuke-kun," Sakura chirped, making his skin slightly shudder, "Maybe we should go on a date to that Dango shop. To celebrate our progress!"

"I'm busy," Sasuke raced through his mind for a plausible excuse, "I need to pick up my groceries for the week." (2)

Unfortunately, girls-in-love didn't give up that easily. So Sakura eagerly pursued.

"I could help you. I know this grocer on 5th Avenue that sells amazing tomatoes and oranges."

"I already know places to buy my produce."

"I could help you carry your bags. You must be buying a lot if it's for the week."

"You're not strong enough to carry what I need."

"I can use chakra."

Sasuke sighed. _Why didn't I just ignore her and walk away? _Unable to win against determined girls-with-crushes, he decided to conceed.

"I'll go with you to the shop," he grumbled, "But keep in mind that this doesn't mean I've fallen for your 'strength' or 'determination'."

"Of course, Sasuke-kun," she said as she began to tug on his arm, "I know I still have a ways to go but after your goal is accomplished, I will set out to capture your heart!"

So Sakura-in her excitement-subcounciously used chakra to drag her unwilling teammate to their destination in record time.

* * *

Itachi watched his little brother with expressionless eyes and an outwardly cold demeaner. Internally, he was smiling fondly at his brother's distress. There were the logical reasons behind their staying behind while the Jinchuuriki travelled about, but there was always the personal reason of making sure his brother was still healthy and sane after his tramatic childhood. It seemed like Itachi had little to worry about. He heard about Orochimaru planting a Curse Seal on Sasuke and was going to make sure he didn't leave Konoha. Yet, as he went over his observations from recent events, he had found that his little brother had companions looking after him.

"Looks like the little brother has quite the admirer," Kisame taunted, "Bring you back to your childhood, Itachi?"

_Fangirls, _he reminisced, _I don't have any experience with them. They seem quite tenacious._

As a prodigy from birth, Itachi was entered into the academy at the age of 5 and graduated by the age of 7. At the time, there were no hormonal girls trying to gain his attention and by the time the girls in his age group did develop crushes, he was already a faceless Anbu serving the Hokage.

Itachi eyed his smirking partner with a blank gaze, "No," he answered simply.

It seemed as though his partner had a few similarities with him, yet he held a few more eccentricities. _In fact_, Itachi thought, _The Akatsuki in general seem to be a lot more eccentric than I originally perceived. _And it was quite true_. _The Akatsuki, a supposed mercenary group, had many diverse members. Two art enthusiasts, both with different meanings for the word and from different backrounds. There was a religious man, though not conventionl by any means, who relished in providing his god with the blood of his enemies. Another immortal that could switch hearts, who was also very attracted to money. There was also their _supposed _mysterious leader and his female partner. _How did Madara find us all? _He thought in displeasure.

"That reminds me, Itachi," his partner called, "After we take the Jinchuuriki brat, are you going to take care of his team?"

Itachi, not missing a beat, replied calmly dispite his internal hesitance, "We should scare them off enouch to prevent them from seeking retribution." Though it was his job to prevent any annoyances from disturbing their work, he didn't want to scar his brother too much.

Itachi didn't miss his partner's lop-sided grin and it bothered him greatly. _Sometimes, I think he can read me. _Kisame seemed to respond to his troubled silence as he spoke again.

"Maybe we should stir up some trouble before then," he teased, "Samehada's getting agitated."

"_We wait_, Kisame," Itachi emphasized, displaying the most outward emotion he had recently shown.

"Alright," Kisame said cautiously, knowing he pushed his partner a little too far this time.

Itachi internally sighed. He found out that he didn't want to disturb the short moments of peace his brother had acquired. He didn't want to bring destruction back into his brother's life; there was no need for it either. From what he could tell, Sasuke was still hell-bent on killing him, only through a different tactic than what Itachi had thought. Of course, he couldn't keep protecting his brother. He had to retrieve the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tails after all. _I'm going to have to rip through your heart again, little brother. I just hope you enjoy these moments of piece before descending into hell. _

Itachi watched in wistful melancholy as his brother gave an annoyed huff at his amused Fangirl.

* * *

**A/N: **

**1= Just to make sure no one get paranoid, I'm refering to Orochimaru here. Just, to let you know.**

**2=Now, I know the old Sasuke would've Hn'ed, ignored her, and started brooding. But like I said, character development will make characters act differently than normal. He can put up with Sakura because at the very least, she's fairly determined to get strong.**

**Now, I'm not really sure about the group dynamics of the Akatsuki. I know all their eccentricities and how they generally deal with one another, but its hard to write the relationship between Itachi and Kisame. I always thought that Kisame seemed to know more about Itachi than he lead on, especially when he died. So, I've come up with something like this. If someone could describe their relationship in detail and PM/review, that would be helpful.**

**Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please review to share your opinion. UNTIL NEXT CHAPTER.**


	4. Prior to the Chaos

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the anime or manga. But do I even want to? All the plotting and media pressure; crazy fans, -shudder- All those endless nights pounding my brain for tidbits of ideas, the hand cramps. My lazy personalilty winces and cowers at such a thought.

I send Kishimoto my most sincere regards.

**Warnings for the chapter: **A lot of POV switching. Don't worry, it's all kept in Third Person Limited Omniscent (1). Rarely will I write Third Person Omniscent but it may slip out occasionally; hopefully that doesn't make my fic inconsistant. I will **never **write in First Person; it just bothers me.

* * *

The door cracked open to reveal bright blonde hair and blue eyes staring into his in fright. The kid he was staring down was Uzumaki Naruto, Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tails. He examined the boy with a hard gaze, Sharingan always active. He was frigid, trembling slightly, definitely out of fear. There was a brief flash of recognition, most likely relating his appearance to that of his teammate's. Itachi's eyes never left his. There was something familiar about his entire appearance, strangely enough. The cerulean eyes; his moppy-sunny hair. It displeased Itachi, he always had an intuitive mind and a sharp memory. Still, he had a job to do and minor interests will have nothing on it.

"Hm, Can this brat really contain the Nine-Tails?" Kisame chuckled behind him. He was leaking a fair amount of killer intent.

Itachi was displeased. _Torturing him with your taunts is unnecessary, _he thought to himself.

After stalling for so long, Itachi couldn't help but feel pity stirring in his stomach towards his brother and the person his brother called a friend; though he knew his little brother was too arrogant to admit it. He had to do this for peace in Konoha, after all. The ends justified the means.

* * *

_(A few days prior)_

"Itachi," his name rung through the caverns of the base of their hideout, "I expected you to be here with the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tails already. Did I not send you and Kisame more than a week ago?"

He looked blankly over at the holographic form of their _supposed _leader; his eyes sporting the legendary Rinnegan. He had plausible reasons for his hesitancy that were true, if only partially. He knew that both Pain and Madara would have the ability to sniff out his lies; one from knowing his most intimate secrets, the other with the help of a previously extinct Doujutsu. Half truths worked well if you could convince yourself that they were the truth; another lesson learnt in Anbu.

"I could not," he answered simply. Knowing that Pain was likely going to want an explanation, he continued, "Upon my arrival, Jiraiya of the Sannin was already guarding the Jinchuuriki. It seems as though he was already aware of our movements."

"Could you not have taken care of him?" Pain asked incredulously.

"He is a strong man, most likely stronger than I could handle," it was the truth. He did believe that if he and the Toad Sage were to confront, he would lose.

"I've heard that Jiraiya is travelling around the Fire Country in search of his colleague. Based on this information, it is correct to assume the Jinchuuriki was also with him," Pain stated blankly, "I'm also aware that you didn't leave Konoha in an effort to tail them."

"It would have been suspicious, knowing that Jiraiya is no novice in spying, he would've likely spotted me," Itachi explained his case, "I stayed behind in Konoha to make him paranoid. If he could assume that the danger was over after arriving back in Konoha, then he would leave the Jinchuuriki alone and that would make our mission easier. That was the moment I had planned to escape with the Jinchuuriki."

Pain seemed to consider this logic for a while. It was odd. This entire situation was odd. He was one of the most loyal Akatsuki members second to Kisame himself. There was no reason for Pain to be delving so deeply into his intentions. The surrounding holograms of their other members seemed to agree. There was definitely more tension than usual, echoing the dark cavern. He turned his gaze of the crumbling pieces of rock and hardened wood. They lay in haphardly on the ground. The finger made of carved stone he stood atop was chipped and dented. The others sported worse.

Pain's suspicions likely rose because of the fairly large incident that happened a while ago. Orochimaru's defection. Everyone in the Akatsuki knew that Orochimaru was more than slightly perverse. He had a large personal agenda to tend to, so it wasn't all too surprising when he left. However, the damage that lay in his wake was. It seemed that, in his rage ensued by his defeat at Itachi's hands, he managed to damage the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path (2). Of course, Pain and Madara seeked retribution, yet the snake was more slippery than one would think. Orochimaru had cost them in the end and Pain was likely suspecting others of doing that as well.

It was either that, or Madara had finally gotten Pain under his wing; breeding suspicion over the odd recruitment of the clan murderer.

He would rather have Pain breathing down his neck for the former.

"I've heard that the matter has been dealt with and they are returning shortly," Pain seemed to be free of suspicions thus far, "I will give you five more days to complete the capture and delivery of the Jinchuuriki to this base. We will deal with him appropriately afterward."

It may have been strange to want the prescence of a Jinchuuriki when there was no vessel to reseal the Tailed-Beast in, but Itachi could understand Pain's, and most likely Madara's, haste. There was already a large missap that lay in their path. They probably wouldn't be able to stand another failure; another obstacle on their path to 'peace'.

That was why Itachi had to take his mission seriously and capture his brother's only friend. Konoha would burn if he failed.

* * *

_(Back in the Present)-(Naruto POV)_

"Naruto-kun, we would like you to come with us," the man who looked like Sasuke said in a blank voice.

To say he was scared shitless was an understatement. He was on the receiving end of the iciest stare he had ever scene. It came from such crimson eyes too. Those eyes were staring at him, yet not. It was as if they were seeing something else where he was; like they were peeking into his soul.

On the other hand, there was the equally chilling stare from a blue-skinned man. Though he was much taller, the Sasuke look-alike was so much more intimidating.

The day started out normal enough. After Naruto and Jiraiya brought their Fifth Hokage back to the village in the early morning, Naruto had had been greeted by his team. Jiraiya had left him to help Tsunade set up her office, or more likely cracking perverted jokes about her figure while she was drinking something alcoholic and Shizune was organizing things.

The first thing Naruto noticed about his team was the lack of orange book that their teacher usually had his nose in 24/7. When asked, Kakashi admitted that he was taking training his team more seriously, but still read on their breaks and when they were doing mundane tasks. The second thing he noticed was his pink-haired teammate. She was still the cute and pretty girl before. She was less cuddly with her crush, yet still amiable with him. It brought curiosity and hope to his heart. She also looked like she built some muscle, not much, but it was a considerable amount in the two weeks he was gone. Sasuke remained the same. His prior change in values was a large enough change to last them ten years.

And so, they ate at his favourite 'restaurant'. Before long, they separated and Naruto found himself in his apartment, admiring the aquamarine necklace adorning his neck. Until Jiraiya dragged him out again. It was truelly unexpected. The perverted sage had told him that they were going to a local hot spring as a reward for completing their mission. They coincidentally had the world's best ramen there as well. Despite his initial excitement at the mention of ramen, he had thought that the perverted sage's actions were suspicious. They had just come back from a two week-long trip and suddenly, they were out of Konoha again. But still, the temptation of ramen was too good to ignore.

So after his teacher left him to go chase another woman, he settled into the small hotel room reserved for those going into the hot springs.

And now he was here, staring at the face of his demise.

* * *

_(Jiraiya POV)_

He had come back from their mission safe and sporting a new and very powerful techinique. So why was it that Jiraiya still had an ominous feeling crawl down his spine every moment he looked over at Naruto. They were back in Konoha with a powerful new leader, surely the Akatsuki wouldn't try anything drastic now. But after talking to Kakashi about their intruders, the feeling was intensified. The odd sensation Kakashi had felt before he took Naruto away was most likely the concealed prescences of an Akatsuki team. During their entire absence, Kakashi had still been able to feel an inkling of their power trailing behind his team. It was constant and they still hadn't disappeared when Naruto and him came back; they were most likely watching from afar.

In response to that thought, he immediately set out to find Naruto to make sure he was not alone. Upon arriving at the exact moment Naruto's teammates left, he stalked his new apprentice back to his apartment. He was suddenly able to feel it, the very intricately concealed prescence of two ninja. They were close in the vicinity and they were powerful, exceptionally so.

It was likely that they could sense his prescence as well. He was probably the only thing that prevented the ninja from taking their target. He knew he couldn't leave Naruto alone after that, but he couldn't keep on stalking him all through the afternoon. It would be bad for Naruto and Konoha if his attention momentarily lapsed and the Akatsuki did damage to the village while capturing Naruto. He needed Naruto and him to take another trip out of the village, immediately.

It had been easy to convince him. Offer ramen and the boy would come to your beck and call. Of course, he still needed a valid excuse. Therefore, he quickly told the kid that they were going to celebrate bringing back the Fifth Hokage in a neighbouring town. He didn't need to know about S-class ninja after his body yet.

When they arrived in the town, he was glad to find that the prescences didn't follow them. That didn't mean he could relax, but it brought him relief anyway; Naruto was in no immediate danger. So when checking into their room for the night and spotted a lovely and curvy woman winking suggestively at him, he decided that there was no harm in accepting her invitation. There was something wrong about this lady. Yet he couldn't refuse.

The woman at his side flipped her hair in a flirty manner and he couldn't help but drool; lude thoughts littering his mind. They walked the streets of the busy town and they laughed with merriment. After spending a few minutes with the lady that was seduced by his charms, he knew there was definitely something wrong. It was most likely a trap created by the Akatsuki to lure him away from their target. Thankfully, he prepared for that. A toad was inconspicuously placed in their hotel room who's job was to protect Naruto and notify him if there was trouble around. He already informed the new Hokage about their unwanted tag-alongs with a summon.

So he played their game. The best way to take the trapper off-guard was to take the bait and spring unexpectedly. The hero always comes in the nick-of-time, after all.

His partner for the evening noticed his lapse of reality and silently completed her job. He was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice his enticing partner slip something into his drink and he gulped it down gluttonously.

* * *

_(Sasuke POV)_

It had started after Kakashi separated from them after greeting Naruto at the entrance.

The blonde was still as obnoxious as ever; apparently he learned an 'ultra-cool technique that could kick Sasuke's Chidori's ass'. He just snorted in response, not disdainfully, but in humor. There was little doubt in his mind that his teammate could probably pull off anything if he tried hard enough. He had seen him shoot up in power and confidence by simply pushing himself all this time. He could still probably kick Naruto's ass; not like he had much of a reason to though. So after arguing amiably with the blonde-for once- he and Sakura left Naruto to go settle back into his apartment.

He went back to his apartment to rest for a while. He hadn't known what Kakashi was doing at the time. That was until Sakura had come bursting through his door and dragged him somewhere in a flurry. He had thought she was acting up, trying to get his attention again, until he remembered that she was no longer like that. The idea was still hard to get used to. So he silently followed her erratic movements until he came to the front desk of Konoha's main hospital.

He had wondered what they were doing here until he laid his eyes on the room Sakura had led him to. It was Kakashi, their teacher, quite possibly one of the strongest ninja in their village, and he was laying on the hospital bed, unconcious. Above him stood the a blonde woman in a green jacket. The Fifth Hokage; he recognized her from when she and Naruto arrived in the village. She was healing him; the green chakra applied to his teacher's chest was a tell-tale sign. Still, this was obviously a worrying situation.

"What the hell is going on here?" He asked.

Sakura echoed his curiosity as she nodded furiously at the female Hokage. She seemed to debate her next words; selecting with them the utmost care.

"Kakashi was attacked," she spoke truthfully, yet cautiously.

"What? By who?" Sakura questioned.

"That is confidential," the Hokage said in a firm tone. Clearly, there was no arguing with her no matter how much Sasuke wanted to know.

A tense silence filled the next few seconds. He didn't know what to do. There was no information and Kakashi didn't seem to need more support. Suddenly, a patter of feet along the hospital halls closed in on them and a black-haired woman blurred past them, not even noticing Sasuke and his teammate in her haste. Wrapped tightly in her arms was an oddly coloured toad.

"Tsunade-sama!" She cried, obviously familiar with the medic, "We have confirmation that Hoshigaki Kisame and Uchiha Itachi, who attacked Kakashi, are now after Naruto!"

The blonde Hokage could've cringed in irritation, if not for the difficult healing procedure she was currently working on. Coincidences were a horrible twist of fate. Shizune, still not noticing the smaller prescences in the room, looked at her master in confusion. She surveyed the room until she froze at the sight of the rest of Team 7; obviously, she made a mistake.

Sakura and Sasuke tensed when they heard the news; Sasuke more so. The pinkette didn't really like the blonde too much, he was incredibly annoying and loud, but she was attached to him as teammates. She couldn't help but shiver when the new person rushed into the room and shouted that the people that took down Kakashi-she cringed when she glanced at him-were now going after Naruto.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was frozen. Frozen from fear, frozen from anger, he didn't know. The only words that he could comprehend were 'Itachi', 'after', and 'Naruto'. There were too many thoughts racing in his head going at far too high speeds. He didn't know what to think and the only thing he could feel was fear; fear for another person's life.

He didn't know how he ended up running around the village trying to find his teammate. He simply surged out the the door leaving a room full of stupor-induced people behind. The Hokage was obviously too busy healing Kakashi to stop him and he was already too far for her assistant to catch up. He remembered seeing Sakura try to come with him but was stopped by the black-haired woman's grip on her arm. None of that mattered though. The only thing on his mind was finding his blonde teammate before his brother found him first; and ended him.

_Fuck! Where the fuck is he? Naruto is going to die if I'm late! _he thought frantically, _Fuck! What does Itachi want with him?_

It was a furious thought. His brother, the one that caused him all his heartache, the one that destroyed his hope and his dreams, the one that shattered his entire world was back; back and trying to find Naruto for some odd reason. There was no time to dwadle on such thoughts though. He knew how powerful his brother was, how frightening, how impossible-to-defeat. Naruto would never stand a chance; not like he could fair any better, but that confession would be dealt with another time.

There was only one place he had constantly seen the blonde at. Ichiraku Ramen, the quaint ramen shop that Naruto could've been supporting all by himself with his large appetite. The entrance flaps were pulled apart and almost ripped in his furosity. Growling at the clearly empty stand, he directed his attention to the bemused chef.

"Where the fuck is Naruto?" His patience running thin at the man's hesitancy. Clearly, they were still apprehensive about him.

"Naruto? Well, I suppose I saw him and Jiraiya-sama walking toward the entrance. He was shouting something about hotsprings and ramen," the man conceeded.

Great. Naruto left Konoha. He left Konoha. _Shit! He's far away, _he thought anxiously. Thankfully, there was only one known hotspring in the local area. Sasuke immediately dashed out of the stand leaving the chef in offense. There was no time to waste. He didn't know how close his brother was to Naruto but he knew the place was a fair distance away.

He needed to go faster.

Suddenly, he found himself at the entrance to a small village. Steam rose slowly from the backs of buildings and dispersed. His legs burned along with his lungs and chakra coils. Chakra was still being subconciously channeled through his body, bringing unnatrual warmth in his limbs. He'd unknowingly used iy to boost himself a distance of one kilometer in less than a minute; and it hurt.

There was no time to catch his breath. Dashing around buildings, he asked for the prescence of a white-haired old man and a shorter-than-average blonde brat. There were no matches so far and he hastened his search. His anxiety eating away at him.

He didn't know what he would do when he got there. Despite not dwadling on thinking too much, he knew there'd be little he would be able to do; especially after using all that chakra to come here in the first place. Sasuke rounded the corner and suddenly, a familiar prescence engulfed him. There was no doubt about it. Itachi was close; significantly close.

There was a lone building standing in front of him. It was staring at him, gauging his next moves. It was testing his luck, his fate, _Naruto's _fate.

There was no hesitation as he focused in on the source of that horribly familiar prescence. There was someone's life at stake. Someone close to him. Silently, he wondered when he had ever formed close enough ties with his blonde teammate to be considered close, but that didn't matter at the moment.

The closer he got to that person, the more hatred he felt rising under his stoic mask. But this wasn't about attaining vengeance, there was no way he could win yet, it was about getting Naruto out of there before he ended up in a bloody pile of flesh. There was no way he was going to let another person be victimized by his brother. There was no way he was going to let Naruto end up like his clan.

Swallowing his pride and regaining as much chakra as he could for this confrontation, he silently crept around the corner to stare dead-centre at the back of a familiar figure. Spikes of blonde hair were blocked off by his form and Sasuke readied himself; activating his Sharingan in the face of another holder.

"It's been a while, Sasuke," the monotone voice broke his concentration. It held so much familiarity and brought a string of emotions to tear through him. It hurt to see the back of the man that was once family to him, then destroyed said family. It hurt to be near the person that completely destroyed his life. Anger, betrayal, anger, reminiscence, anger, despair, anger, confusion, and more anger were felt. But he was better than to let the one person he hated see through emotions and settled on the most prominent one; anger.

"Uchiha Itachi," he couldn't help but respond. That name, it held so much meaning to him, so much rage.

"Get away from Naruto or I will kill you!" He spoke in deadly firm tone. The Sharingan in his eyes spun once more, boaring into the back of his brother's head.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**A/N: lol sorry for the cliff hanger, but I didn't want to end up writing an 8k chapter so I decided to cut it off then. First, the tags I've put on the chapter:**

**1= lol not much to do with the story, but for those wondering. Third Person Limited Omniscent is a narrative that basically means you aren't in the story with them (That is third person) but you can't feel everyone's emotions; you can only describe the emotions of the character who's POV you're writing from because your position in the story is basically 'in their head'. **

**Third Person Omniscent just delimits you to that one person and you can describe the emotions and thoughts of all the characters in your story because your position is essentially god. **

**2= To those who don't know, his is the statue that all the bijuu are sealed in. I'm not too sure if its made of stone or wood, so I settled with both. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't just break easily, but you know Ero-Hebi-san (Orochimaru), he can do a lot of weird shit. Now this is an important element in my story ;)**

**IMPORTANT AND ALL MUST READ WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THIS FIC:**

**So I haven't really talked about how the structure of this fic is going to go. I've already planned it out in my head, but you know how unreliable that gets. for the basics, I'm splitting this story into 2 parts, similar to canon. Part 1 is before time-skip (which is now), part 2 is 2.5 years later.**

**I'm not sure if I should separate the parts, any ideas? Seriously, I could use the reviews. Just give me your opinions my followers T^T PM's are good too, I need the praise, or insults. It doesn't matter, I just need human contact. **

**So until next chapter~**

* * *

Less importantly, would anyone be willing to beta? I mean, I don't necessarily check over my work, and I don't make mistakes often, but it takes a load off of me when someone can tell me if I'm using an excessive amount of commas; or semi-colons. Though, I do love semi-colons; they make life easier.

* * *

**One more thing; I'm getting writer's block.**

**I'm calling my current phenomenon getting down from the 'First Fic High'  
Simply put, I'm getting less inspiration to write the next chapter. Also keep in mind that it's completely stored within my head. **

**Arg, hopefully, I don't lose too many followers if I stall a bit more(?)**

**Don't kill me T^T.**


End file.
